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Adam 'Always On' Orth No Longer with Microsoft

Last week, the internet was grumbling about a series of tweets that Microsoft Studios Creative Director decided to empty from his brain onto the screens of millions. He lamented the continued protest of devices that were “always on,” saying that it was “the world we live in” and everyone can #dealwithit.

This would normally be just one man expressing his opinion, but in this case he has a very prominent role with Microsoft and likely has access to very sensitive information about the capabilities of the next generation Xbox, the secrets of which have been guarded under lock and key so far.

His comments led everyone to speculate that yes, Microsoft’s next console would be “always on,” the implication being that an internet connection could be required to play games. It’s a form of restrictive DRM that makes gameplay tough for those without a stable connection, and could feed into a console’s ability to restrict play of used games.

Well, according to sources speaking to Game Informer, Adam Orth is no longer with Microsoft. Whether he resigned or was asked to leave is not clear, and we’re waiting on double and triple confirmation that Orth has indeed left.

The fact that we’re having this conversation isn’t a surprise, really. Orth brought a ton of negative press down on Microsoft’s head in the wake of those comments. They were forced to issue an apology for his tweets, but the company stuck with a “no comment” when it came to “always on.” That, of course, looked even more suspicious, and sparked another round of speculation from fans and media alike.

In the age we live in, it’s pretty amazing what 140 characters can do. It may not seem fair to have your entire career tarnished by a tweet, but if that tweet causes a negative PR hurricane to slam into your company after hinting at potentially covert information about an incredibly important new product, yes, it is enough to get you fired.

I don’t wish ill on anyone, but Orth’s behavior should be a lesson to everyone about how to act on Twitter. Anything you say publicly on the internet can come back to haunt you, and even if you delete it, caching and screenshots will make it live forever.

We’ll solve this “always on” mystery at E3 I imagine, barring any more tweets from Microsoft employees.

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Adam Orth’s comment is something I just don’t understand. Why was he commenting on the internet about an unreleased product in the first place? Was he a company spokesman? If not, why was he trying to be one?

At the last place I worked, they made no secret of the fate that awaited ‘unofficial spokespeople’. I can’t imagine that Microsoft was any softer on this issue.

unfortunately thats pretty easy in the digital age we live in. Facebook, Twitter and texting are now the biggest forms of communication. Yet they only use the smallest portion of the communications process.

1) What you say – Approximately 10% 2) How you say it – approximately 30% 3) Non Verbal communication – approximately 60%

So people are trying to communicate at near real time while only using about 10% of the communications process. Is it any wonder most people are always misunderstood, trollish, or idiotic using these forms of communication?